The Sixers will not extend a qualifying offer to Terquavion Smith, a source tells Liberty Ballers. That means the two-way guard becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Signed as an undrafted free agent out of NC State last year, Smith did show flashes with his high-volume shooting and microwave scoring. In 22 games for the Delaware Blue Coats last season, Smith averaged 23.1 points in 31.1 minutes per game while shooting 37.1% from three on a preposterous 10.5 attempts per game.
With the Sixers decimated by injuries, Smith did get a cup of coffee with the big club. Across 16 NBA games, Smith shot 37.1% from deep on 14.9(!) attempts per 36 minutes.
While we did get a few “Terq Time” moments and flashes, there were obvious concerns about Smith’s frame and how he’d hold up getting NBA minutes. Still, this move feels like it’s more about flexibility than any sort of referendum on Smith.
With the Sixers moving quickly to sign UDFA wings Justin Edwards and David Jones to two-way deals, it feels like that third two-way spot will eventually go to second-round pick, Adem Bona. And with first-rounder Jared McCain in the fold as undersized off guard that’s a high-volume three-point shooter, Smith might be redundant.
It was reported by The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey Saturday that the team will also decline point guard Jeff Dowtin, Jr.’s team option, making him an unrestricted free agent as well. Dowtin was a solid depth ball handler last season. We can’t rule out a possible return, but Daryl Morey is clearly choosing to keep all options open amid the team’s pursuit of Paul George.
NBA free agency kicks off at 6 p.m. Sunday when teams are allowed to contact free agents.
New day, new deluge of Sixers rumors to get to. The 2024 NBA Draft is now less than a week away. Unlike last season, when Daryl Morey was going radio silent on James Harden hoping he’d opt into his one-year player option, teams are now legally allowed to negotiate with their own free agents.
But the Clippers haven’t appeared to gain any traction on keeping their nine-time All-Star, Paul George. (Emoji eyes).
Let’s do a Sixers rumor roundup focused solely on the SoCal native’s potential relocation to Philly.
Photo by Jim Cowsert/NBAE via Getty Images
Okay, so you already know Embiid stole NBA Finals headlines by recruiting PG with a dashing and mischievous smile on national TV days before Boston put the finishing touches on the Mavs.
That marked somewhat of a key change in Embiid’s offseason demeanor. He was no longer staying silent or looking for mere #dawgs like P.J. Tucker. Now he has his sights set on a much bigger fish.
Recent local L.A. reporting
According to Tomer Azarly for ClutchPoints, June 19:
“…there is no indication the Clippers are prepared to drop a max … that offer has not been on the table in recent months and there’s nothing to indicate that line of thinking has changed….George feels that he’s still worth a max contract and, as one league source told ClutchPoints, that Leonard’s three-year, $150 million shouldn’t affect his own.”
Mirjam Swanson, from the SoCal Nes Group, believes the Clippers and George are heading toward a divorce: “that’s why it’s starting to feel, after staring at the tea leaves trying to stitch together a predictive pattern for the past few months, like they’re headed for a divorce.”
The columnist working the Clips beat added, as recently as June 20:
“The 76ers, who are among the collection of teams in contention mode, could – and pretty clearly would – offer George a max deal of four years and $212.2 million. So could the Magic, with whom George could flourish, playing relatively pressure-free basketball – and, in either scenario, paying significantly less state income tax than he would in California.
The Clippers know this. And they’re letting it be known that they’re fine with it.
Perhaps they’re assuming the Palmdale product will find it in his heart to take a hometown discount? I don’t know, though. It’s not been the warmest homecoming; the guy gets booed every time he appears on a Jumbotron outside of Crypto.com Arena….”
Woj said months ago the clippers are willing to reboot this before giving kawhi and pg full max deals.
Imo it’s really about if there is another max deal out there for pg. and I think it is. And I don’t think he’ll be back. pic.twitter.com/ascqPKiXZj
Another local voice, Justin Russo, via Substack, sang a similar tune as Azarly and Swanson.
Per Russo, some sourced intel, from Juneteenth:
“[Kawhi Leonard’s January extension] left George out in the cold, awaiting his own fresh deal. It has yet to come, and sources tell Russo Writes at the time of this writing that the two sides…. have grown no closer to agreeing on a new contract for the 34-year-old.”
“…as was first reported by yours truly at Russo Writes in April, George told a rival player late in the season that money is what matters the most to him during these negotiations, not playing close to home.”
George has until June 29 to decide on his player option. At the moment of this writing, George is likely to decline it, a source not authorized to speak publicly on the matter tells Russo Writes.
“..it feels like the marriage is ready to dissolve….”
Did you catch that line? PG told a rival player late in the year that money talks, not playing close to home. (Double emoji eyes).
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently speculated that the Clips think PG is “bluffing” about wanting the money and being willing to leave. Russo’s report suggests otherwise.
The #Clippers seem to be playing a pretty dangerous game, playing hardball and “calling bluffs” with Paul George. First they didn’t think he was worth as much as Kawhi’s $152m extension. Now this? Could #sixers or #knicks swoop in? https://t.co/Qbi4VRJNTP
On a June 19 pod where Marc Stein hosted Chris Haynes, Haynes reminded us that with a new arena opening this coming season the Clippers “…. want all their horses in the fold. They want to have a championship-caliber team going into that arena for next season…” but Haynes adds that PG leaving would be a game changer. In that scenario, Haynes could even see the team pivoting to a name like DeMar DeRozan, another L.A. native.
Stein adds ice water: “I can’t see George leaving…but… they clearly want Paul George to come in under the max, …they clearly want George at their price….” and Stein reminds listeners that hasn’t happened yet.
From PG himself
And of course, amid all of this speculation, George, perhaps in negotiation mode, is doing little to make either side feel extra comfortable.
One nugget now going viral was delivered from PG two weeks ago on the “Podcast P with Paul George.”
Former Blazers’ star Zach Randolph references the Daryl Morey-James Harden divorce as an example of an organization not being straight up with a player.
Minutes after Z-Bo’s point, after discussing his own experiences with perceived front office betrayals, George adds, on the general subject of F.O. chicanery:
“Believe it or not like, players talk, you know what I mean. And then reputations go around, like, ‘hey man, I don’t know about going to this place, because they shit, watch yo’ back, you know what I mean?’ That’s the conversations you have.”
So no, he wasn’t directly responding to the Morey-Harden thing. But you don’t have to use mental telepathy to piece together what Harden has expressed to PG about his own recent divorce with the Sixers’ current President of B-Ball Ops. The question is, would PG care enough to take less? And if so, how much less?
Money talks
According to Spotrac, PG has about $305,332,086M in career earnings. Celebrity Net Worth has ventured he’s worth an estimated $90M.
So if C.N.W is even remotely on the scent here, it makes sense why an extra $30-$40M would sway PG. (If you had $90K in the bank, your last great chance to add an additional $30K, regardless of your career-to-date earnings, might be very important to you.)
If Morey dropped a $212M offer at the first second of free agency making clear PG is his top priority, while the Clippers came in with a significantly lower figure, adhering to some invisible pecking order where PG is beneath Leonard, maybe PG could find a way to trust Daryl. Too bad the Sixers couldn’t offer PG an expiring two-year no-trade-clause.
***OR*** maybe PG is already sick of Harden, lol, get this…
The Athletic’s Law Murray appeared on The Athletic NBA show. Murray thinks he loves L.A. and that his body performs better in warm weather but wants the team to get younger. “But I think Paul wants his money,” Murray concludes.
Law Murray who covers LAC: -Thinks PG wants to test free market. -Team doesn’t want to give max to avoid “second apron hell.” -Doesn’t think PG wants to take less and play with Harden. Relationship with Harden is not as strong as it might seem.
More Law: “We would be foolish not to think that Joel and PG haven’t talked.” -They have certainly shared about the difficulties of playing with Harden. -Other host think its Sam said that PG and Joel would be a lot of fun. -OKC could be option due to prior relationship.
PG was asked about what he’s prioritizing with FA on the horizon:
“For sure contributing to winning basketball. I mean at this point… It’s not even about… Like people are saying, ‘chasing a championship.’ Like, it’s not that. But it’s playing the right style of basketball is what I’m chasing.”
Paul George on what he’s looking for in free agency and his future:
“For sure contributing to winning basketball. I mean at this point… It’s not even about… Like people are saying, ‘chasing a championship.’ Like, it’s not that. But it’s playing the right style of basketball is… pic.twitter.com/N2TpSP9g2a
The quintessential 3-and-D wing added more context that all seems a bit “anti-Beard:”
“We started the year off rolling, we started year off hot….
“And then we traded to get James [Harden] and it’s not James’ fault of why I think we struggled, but the lost part of that was we lost [Robert Covington] we lost Nico [Batum]. Those were our glue guys….So again, it had nothing to do with grabbing James, it was more so losing those guys. KJ Martin as well…. RoCo was huge for us. Nico was huge for us. So you plug those guys around myself, Kawhi, and [Russell Westbrook] they did a lot of the dirty work. And now you grab James, who is super talented offensively, now myself, Kawhi, we become the dirty guys. Now we have to score too. I think it was just a lot that we were trying to balance and manage at that point.
“But again, it had nothing to do with James. James I thought was awesome for us.”
Lol, Not that there’s anything wrong with James! He’s a fine player!
We’ve come a long way
In early May, Shams Charania reported that “this Clippers team fully intends to keep this group together, they want to bring back Paul George as a free agent or give him an extension, but they have not been able to reach an agreement….”
A week later, Shams shared that people around the NBA “have the belief” George wants to remain a Clipper.
PG himself even noted he’d love to have his jersey retired in both Indy and L.A.
Adrian Wojnarowski also reported on May 29 that the Boats are “determined to keep” the 14-year vet.
Jake Fischer, for Yahoo, on May 24 reported:
“The Clippers, sources said, remain hopeful through continuous dialogue that George and his representatives will agree to terms with his incumbent franchise.” But Fischer added that if there is no max, PG might walk. He also reported: “Rival teams and agents are conducting business, sources said, under the impression the Clippers aren’t keen on committing to guaranteed money beyond the three-year window of Leonard’s deal that runs through 2026-27.”
Now this….
Brian Windhorst says to monitor Paul George’s situation in LA
“[The Clippers] could sign Paul George this afternoon, but the fact that they are not seemingly reacting to what his market clearly is, is something to pay attention to.”
If the Clippers are hoping or assuming PG will give them a hometown discount, it’s one very dangerous game they’re playing.
In the three-plus weeks since top dogs Woj, Shams and Fischer made clear L.A. wants to keep this group together, it feel as if everything has shifted. Or nothing has shifted, and that’s a really big deal.
Are the Clippers reluctant but secretly willing to pay full price, in mere hopes of getting him on a lower all-in number? A “Tobias Harris special” maybe? Remember, (or better yet forget) Harris in 2019 was eligible to sign a $197M five-year deal but he ultimately signed for $180M. Is that something the Clippers might have in mind? $180M for four years? What if they offered $195? Would that get it done? In similar situations with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, the Clippers benefitted from the star player opting in then being traded — allowing L.A. to at least recoup assets and flexibility. That’s how they got Kawhi and PG in the first place. Perhaps that’s what they’d like most.
Has PG been communicating to them that there is a number below a max but he doesn’t want to play with Harden anymore? Would letting James walk and keeping PG be the cleanest way to alleviate these second-apron hell concerns?
Every day that passes (with no bomb that they’re going to make him a truly competitive offer) must ring like a silent symphony to Morey and Embiid’s star-hunting ears.
There is so much smoke to this fire that I almost feel compelled to wrap it up with a dead fish prediction: the Sixers are still highly unlikely to land PG, and if they do they’ll be highly unlikely to win a title. That’s the safest bet, sadly. If PG wants to stay, and they want him, chances are they will settle upon some large figure that satisfies all parties. And there’s always other teams lurking.
But holy shit, the Sixers might really get Paul George, and still keep some of their five draft picks. What do you think, maybe 30 percent?
Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is North Carolina’s Harrison Ingram.
Ingram projects to be a glue guy and connector, someone who can offer a variety of offensive and defensive skill sets.
Harrison Ingram is a stellar playmaker for his size. He plays like a college veteran and knows how to play at his own pace. Before transferring to UNC, he played at Stanford where he was primarily used as a pick-and-roll ball handler. With North Carolina he became a playmaking hub for their offense, typically operating out of the post or elbows. Ingram dramatically refined his shooting at UNC, making 40 percent of threes. Ingram is an excellent rebounder and regularly displays good timing when crashing the boards. He projects to be a highly versatile defender — he’s quick enough to switch onto guards and uses his length and size well against wings and forwards. He plays with strong fundamentals and consistently shows effort on the defensive end.
Weaknesses
Ingram struggles to create space off the dribble, typically forcing him into heavily contested shots at the rim or in the midrange. He struggled to convert baskets around the rim, making only 52.4 percent of his shots, per Synergy. Before transferring to UNC, Ingram was a below average shooter, never averaging over 32 percent from three. He has decent form, but lacks a soft, natural touch.
Positional Fit
Ingram may be one of the most unique players to be had in the second round, as his combination of size and playmaking allow him to practically be slotted into any position. Comparing him to one specific player is difficult, but think of someone like Joe Johnson who is less of a scorer and more of a playmaker. Or someone like Grant Williams, who acts as a glue guy who takes tough defensive assignments.
Draft Projection
Second round
There’s plenty of red flags here to consider, but Ingram’s playmaking, defensive versatility and ability to play within his role will certainly find him a home in the NBA. Don’t be surprised if Ingram gets scooped up in the late first round, as there’s plenty to like if you believe in his shooting progression.
